The present invention relates to fluid distributing arrangements in general, and more particularly to a distributing arrangement usable in a machine for shaping thermoplastic material, especially molten glass, for cooling the forming tool.
There are already known various constructions of machines constructed for producing articles from thermoplastic materials, among them such which are especially suited for making hollow glass articles, such as bottles or the like. One construction of the machine of the last-mentioned kind includes a forming tool which includes at least one split mold the mold segments of which are respectively carried by associated mold segment holders and are movable relative to one another. This construction further includes fluid distributing means or device which is movable with the respective mold segment holder and which is in communication with a fluid supply source, such as a source of pressurized air. The fluid distributing device includes a plurality of outlet openings which communicate through an interface with associated inlet openings of fluid channels provided in the respective forming tool, there being provided means for detachably connecting the fluid distributing device to the respective mold segment in a screw-free manner.
More particularly, an arrangement of this type is revealed in the British Pat. No. 1,377,292. In this conventional construction, which includes a triple mold, the fluid distributing means which is constructed as distributing pipes are respectively mounted on the mold segment holder which is constructed as a pivotable tong half. Each of the distributing pipes has only one outlet opening for each of the mold segments, and the connecting means which connects the respective outlet opening with the associated inlet opening of the respective mold segment is constructed as a nipple partially received in the respective outlet opening, urged out of the same by a compression spring, and movable therein by the associated mold segment. In the operative condition, the nipple is received in an inlet opening which is common to all of the fluid channels of the respective mold segment approximately in the middle of the respective mold segment. Cooling air is supplied to the distributing pipe by a supply conduit which is attached to the respective tong half. This known construction requires the availability of a considerable amount of lateral space and is limited to the admission of the cooling air into only one inlet opening which is situated approximately in the middle of the respective mold segment. As a result of this, a differentiated admission of the cooling fluid into the respective fluid channels of the mold segments is impossible to achieve in this construction.
It is known from a commonly owned U.S. Pat. No. 4,251,253 to so construct the cooling arrangement that the fluid channels of each of the mold segments are arranged respectively in a plane which extends through a longitudinal axis of the associated mold recess, and that it is possible to admit the cooling fluid into the fluid channel and/or one or more groups of fluid channels independently of one another in a controlled or regulated manner. To achieve this, various fluid supply elements which communicate with the inlet openings of the fluid channels are threadedly connected with the mold segment. Even though this construction renders it possible to achieve a differentiated supply for the cooling fluid to the fluid channels of each of the mold segments, the mounting and dismounting of the supply elements during the mounting and exchange of the molds is very cumbersome and time-consuming. In addition thereto, only a limited amount of space is available at the region of the molds in certain machines, so that the mounting of such conventional supply elements on the mold segments is rendered very difficult, if not impossible.
It is known from the U.S. Pat. No. 4,142,884 to feed the cooling fluid into the respective fluid channel through an associated branch channel from a distributing channel which is associated with each mold segment of each half of the forming tool. The distributing channels are respectively connected via an associated parting channel with a common supply nipple which is connected to a supply source. What is disadvantageous in this construction is that, for both of the mold segments of each half of the forming tool, all fluid channels, all branch channels, the two distributing channels and the supply nipple are rigidly connected with one another and with the respective mold segments and that they require the presence of a substantial amount of space upwardly of the mold segments. During the periodical exchange of the mold segments, which is necessitated either by the wear thereof or in order to be able to switch from the production of one type of articles to another, all of the new mold segments must be equipped with the pressurized fluid distributing device upto and including the supply nipple, which is very expensive and results in a very bulky construction. Thus, it is disadvantageous that the assembly and storage of the mold segments of this construction are very difficult.